AS a rule, the Liverpool Echo does not offer succour and sympathy to Manchester United legends.

It’s a rivalry thing, you see.

But we’ll make an exception today.

Steve Bruce was clearly looking to enlist allies in his post-match press briefing on Saturday when he said: “The referee’s decision for me has changed the whole course of the game . . . and I think you’ll agree. Maybe the Liverpool guy, wherever he is, may not.”

Sorry Steve. The Liverpool guys (Brucey may only get one Wigan Observer hack to watch his side, the Echo sends three) were right in front of him, and were united in agreement.

Alan Wiley is a wretched referee.

He got a big decision hopelessly wrong once again on Saturday when he booked Antonio Valencia for encroaching, and that wasn’t the only decision which seemed to favour the hosts.

But that’s where the sympathy ends.

Because we’ve heard this refrain before.

Back when Liverpool were last really, really good, ‘we were robbed’ was a regular moan from opposition managers.

It was usually a dodgy penalty at the Kop End, a goal in time added on or a man harshly sent off.

But whatever the complaint, it usually came because wave after wave after wave of Liverpool attacks had finally seen a visiting team crumble.

Wigan were outstanding for 45 minutes. Amr Zaki and Antonio Valencia added the gilding of craft and class onto the workrate and industry of the consistently excellent Wilson Palacios and the unsung Lee Cattermole.

They were ambitious, bright, purposeful – and fully deserving of the 2-1 lead Zaki’s goals gave them. But then came the half-time break and a change of mindset.

Maybe it was Liverpool finally getting their act together, perhaps it was Wigan unconsciously trying to hang onto what they’d achieved, but for the second 45 minutes there only looked like one likely winner – even when 11 played 11.

Look at the chances before Valencia’s exit.

Kirkland saved superbly with his legs from Kuyt, Cattermole kicked from under his own crossbar from Agger and Steven Gerrard slid a free-kick a foot wide of the post. All the time Wigan retreated deeper and deeper.

For the first 45 minutes Zaki had been supported superbly by Kapo and Valencia. After the interval he was more and more isolated, allowing Benitez to dispense with both his full-backs and introduce Yossi Benayoun and Nabil El Zhar for another telling cameo.

And it was Valencia whose concentration cracked under the sustained pressure.

Not at the free-kick – that was a Wiley howler – but in the reckless challenge he launched at Alonso which was wholly deserving of the yellow card – and subsequent red – which it received.

After that it was merely a matter whether Liverpool would have enough time to score twice.

There were 16 minutes remaining at that point – and the Reds needed only 10 of them.

Albert Riera added to the already quietly impressive start he has built in a Liverpool shirt by drilling an equaliser past Kirkland, then Pennant did what he was brought into the team to do, and supplied a cross which Kuyt dispatched effectively.

Mr Wiley added on five minutes of added time, but there was never a fear that an equaliser was coming, because Wigan were spent.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t concerns for Rafa Benitez to address.

We’ve seen Agger often enough now to forgive him the appalling lapse of concentration which gifted Wigan their opening goal – and the buccaneering 80-yard run which led to the equaliser could have come from a player nicknamed Jocky or even Kaiser such was its incisive elegance.

But we’re still waiting to witness similar quality from Andrea Dossena.

He allowed Valencia to find the space to cross for Zaki’s second goal, and failed to contribute anything in the opposition half.

Stylistically he may resemble a former Liverpool left-back in Alan Kennedy, but in value for money terms he lags light years behind.

Benitez brought in new full-backs this summer in a bid to give his team more adventure, more forward momentum – but the balance still isn’t quite right.

Perhaps it would be churlish to complain about that after a five-goal thriller which resulted in another come from behind victory.

But the fear is that if Liverpool allow Chelsea a lead next Sunday, Scolari’s side won’t crumble in the same way that Steve Bruce’s did.